Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, but the characters that I made up belong entirely to me.
Author's Note: I know that the plot is moving slowly, but please don't yell at me. This chapter at least will be kinda interesting. It's the battle!
The Course of True Love Ne'er Did Run Smooth…
Chapter 5
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted again, and rushed over to her side. He quickly picked her up in one swoop and caressed her pale, waxy face tenderly. Leaning her carefully against a tree trunk, he whispered, "Don't worry, Kagome, you're safe now that I'm here." Although his face was taut with anger towards the Neko, Inuyasha's eyes betrayed the pain and worry he felt for the unconscious girl. He stood up, and his expression changed. He roared, "How dare you hurt Kagome! For that, I'm gonna make sure you suffer tenfold what you did to this innocent girl! Prepare to die, Neko!" He bared his fangs menacingly, and cracked his knuckles.
Taiyo sneered, "Hmph. You're nothing but a filthy halfling. What makes you think you'll be able to defeat I, the great Taiyo? Don't insult me. I won't lower myself to fight with such a disgusting, low animal. I'll just rip you apart before you can even scream." She leapt into the air with a feral growl, claws extended and glinting in the moonlight. Ready to inflict mass destruction on the demon that had harmed Kagome, Inuyasha also charged towards her with claws raised and ready.
His running jump had carried himself a few inches higher than Taiyo, and he kicked her soundly in the head as he went past. Instead of falling, the agile demon gave under his weight, then bounced back up again like a spring. She jeered at the dog-demon rudely, "Ha! Is that the best you can do? You're even worse than your little human 'friend' there. At least she managed to land a few punches on me, the little bitch, before I tied her up. Of course, she had been suitably punished for hurting me," here she indicated the red marks on her arms and face, "for I have given her a wound that will leave a scar on her chest when it heals, if she manages to live, which is highly unlikely."
Inuyasha was infuriated by Taiyo's taunting, and pulled out his katana from his side with a quick, metallic swipe. It transformed into a giant, gleaming fang as he raised it up high. "Tetsusaiga!" he yelled, and dashed towards her, intent on shedding her blood. Metal clashed against metal as Taiyo pulled out her own sword that held it up in front of her just in time to block his attack. He gawked. Its sharp, clean blade glimmered, showing it's great condition. Compared to his sword, which was rusty, battered, and chipped, the cat-demon's sword was beautiful.
Taiyo smirked at his astonishment. Taking advantage of his momentary silence, she raised her sword again and slashed at his legs in a wide arc. Inuyasha jumped just in time, then shook himself out of his shock and attacked her again. Sharp clanging rang out throughout the glade as the two exchanged parries and thrusts. With frustrated cursing on Inuyasha's part, and frosty amusement on Taiyo's part, their harsh blows and blocks continued for what seemed like an endless eternity. Each had accumulated numerous wounds, both large and small, from their fighting. After a careless block by Inuyasha, Taiyo's sword had managed to slip past him and rewarded him with a large, deep gash on his right arm. This was not very helpful, for the warm blood had slowly seeped down to his hands and made his sword grip slippery. Now his arm was starting to ache, and he knew he couldn't hold onto the sword for much longer. Sooner or later, he would make a mistake and his tired hands would drop the Tetsusaiga. He gritted his teeth and tried as hard as he could to deliver a final fatal blow. He had to kill this demon that had hurt his Kagome.
Of course, Taiyo was not fighting without difficulty either. Inuyasha dipped his claws into the wound on his arm with a savage snarl, and shouted, "Sankon Tetsusou!!" Dark blades of blood whirled from his claws, heading toward Taiyo. After receiving an well-aimed blow to her forehead, Inuyasha's claws caused a scratch that allowed the blood to drip into her eyes, half-blinding her and causing her much difficulty. She had lost her cool, confident air much earlier in the battle, and had also ceased her taunting. As much as she hated to admit it, the half-breed was a match for her after all. Maybe more.
Finally, as always, good prevailed over evil, and Inuyasha managed to thrust his sword straight through the Neko's stomach as she lashed out as his shoulder. Inuyasha fell to his knees and stared weakly as the tip of the blade protruded grossly out of Taiyo's back. She fell with a thump to the ground, coughing up dark blood, and glared at him with hatred and disbelief in her eyes before her vision blurred and her closed her eyes for the last time.
Inuyasha almost fainted from the exhaustion and pain of his wounds, but the thought of his Kagome lying there, breathing shallow breaths as her blood slowly leaked out of her, forced him to stay awake as he crawled painfully over to the girl's side, gasping heavily in exertion. He slowly picked her up in her arms, like a bride, and, drawing on his last reserves of strength, started to stagger back towards Kaede's village. His resolve burning as brightly as a candle within him, even as his eyes started to droop a couple feet from the edge of the village. In the end, unable to take the strain any longer, the half-demon croaked out, "Help Kagome…" before he, too, slumped down with Kagome in her arms and lost himself in blissful oblivion.